Logan Gilbert is mild-mannered off the mound.
On it? He’s “like a different person,” he told reporters Tuesday night.
His alter ego’s name: Walter.
According to MLB.com, the nickname originated when he was pitching at Stetson University.
“We were just joking around with names and somehow I said, ‘Walter,'” Gilbert recalled. “But for me, it’s more about the difference between what it takes to get me at my best, being ultra-competitive and having some attitude.”
MORE: Cal Raleigh copied Babe Ruth in the most eerie, magical way
In Game 3 of the ALDS, with the series tied at a game apiece, “Walter” went 6.0 innings, allowing four hits and one run, while striking out seven.
He’s only the second pitcher in Mariners history with that stat line in a playoff game, according to Just Baseball. The first? Freddy Garcia in 2000.
“He’s a cold-blooded killer when he steps out on the mound,” Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford told MLB.com. “And that’s why his name is ‘Walter’ — it’s just a scary name. No offenses to the Walters out there.”
Gilbert didn’t have a full season. He missed nearly two months with a right elbow flexor strain.
But he came back to strike out nearly a third of the hitters he faced, and his stuff was nasty on Tuesday night.
And now the Mariners, thanks to “Walter,” are a win away from the ALCS.
More MLB News:
